Shadow King of Anything
by PhantomSilverCrystal
Summary: Song Fic: Sara Bareilles "King of Anything". Kyoya may be the cool type, but that doesn't make him king of ANYTHING, or does it? Let's explore Kyoya and Haruhi shall we? KyoxHaru. Rated T for less than 15 instances of mild language... Sequel POSTED! See profile.
1. Keep Drinking Tea

**_Keep drinking coffee stare me down across the table while I look outside._**

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><p>"Haruhi, we're out of commoners' coffee again!" Tamaki shouted from across the clubroom.<p>

"Damn rich bastards." She muttered to herself.

"What was that Haruhi?" Kyoya asked icily from behind her. She hadn't even realized he was there. The clubroom was always so noisy once the customers arrived that she didn't ever notice when Kyoya snuck up on her. It was no wonder they called him the Shadow King!

"Hmm? Oh, nothing, Kyoya-sempai!" She faked a smile and walked over to the large cabinet where the commoners' coffee and other assorted teas were. "Tamaki-sempai, it's in the cupboard, like it always is."

She handed him the bottle of Hescafe, to which he began to giddily jump for joy, shouting: "Haruhi's the best! I'm the proudest daddy ever!"

"Whatever, Tamaki-sempai." Haruhi began to walk away.

"Haruhi, would you fetch me the earl gray while you're over there?" Kyoya asked from his desk. _So much for not being the host club dog, anymore. Why doesn't he just get it himself? _Funnily enough, Haruhi couldn't remember the last time she actually saw him hosting. If he wasn't even working, why couldn't he get his own damn tea?

"Sure thing, Kyoya-sempai." Most days, she found it best to just do what he asked at risk of collecting a larger debt.

Reopening the cabinet, she found the earl gray tea to be on the highest shelf, just out of reach. She stretched and stretched, pulling every muscle in her body for just an extra inch or two.

Catching sight of her, the twins excused themselves from their table and crept up behind Haruhi. They positioned themselves: Hikaru behind her left leg and Kaoru behind her right.

"One," Hikaru whispered.

"Two," followed Kaoru.

"THREE!" They shouted in unison, hoisting Haruhi onto their shoulders.

"H-hey! Put me down!" Haruhi exclaimed. "Come on you guys! Seriously!"

"What?" They asked together.

"We're just trying—"

"—To help you reach." They smiled devilishly. She quickly grabbed Kyoya's tea.

"There, I have it. Now let me down!"

"Say thank you!" Hikaru demanded, blocking her path.

"Thank you?" She answered, as she turned to take another way.

"Thank you for…?" Kaoru jested as he stepped in front of her.

"Thank you, guys, for scaring me half to death. Excuse me." She said pushing past him. _Geez, the guys have only gotten harder to deal with since Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai graduated. Its like the balance is thrown off or something._

"Here's your tea." She set it down on the desk and started back to her customers.

"Ah- Haruhi, I'm busy. Could you just mix it for me, since you're still here?" Kyoya never looked up from his laptop as he busily typed a thousand words a minute.

"Sure." She said through clenched teeth. "I don't mind."

"Thank you." he smirked still typing. "I don't think you really practice tea making enough, do you?"

"Um, well, I suppose not. Kurakano-san and her friends usually just like ice water." Haruhi said, pouring the hot water.

"Well, then be sure not to mess it up too badly. I really don't like when my tea is too weak." It amazed her that he could hold conversation while typing that ferociously.

"I hope it's ok, Kyoya-sempai, but I'm leaving my customers alone, so I should probably, get back, now, huh?"

"You're excused."

_What the hell?_ Haruhi thought to herself. _I'm __**excused**__? Like he's a teacher or something?_

"Sorry, ladies," Haruhi said, returning to her usual spot by the window.

"Does Kyoya always boss you around like that, Haruhi?" Kurakano asked politely.

"Be careful, how you respond, Haruhi," all four girls jumped at the sound of Kyoya's voice behind Haruhi. "Remember your situation."

"K-Kyoya-sempai…" She stammered.

"My tea wasn't quite right." He said bluntly, setting the teacup in front of her and walked away.

Haruhi rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder to check the time on the large clock. She sighed deeply. _Not even halfway done._

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><p><strong>A.N.: I really tried to have Kyoya drink commoners' coffee in this chapter, but I couldn't do it! Kyoya doesn't <em>do <em>commoners' coffee. That's more Tamaki's deal. :)**


	2. So Many Things I'd Say

_**So many things I'd say if only I was able, but I just keep quiet and count the cars that pass by.**_

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><p>Haruhi sighed deeply as she walked out of the clubroom for the day. The next day, Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai would be coming to visit, so she hoped that the boys would be on their best behavior.<p>

"Haru-hi!" Tamaki shouted after her, she stopped to listen. "Where are you going?"

"Home of course." She turned back around and kept walking down the hall.

"You're… walking?" he hurried to catch up with her.

"Duh, Sempai. I don't drive." She kept her eyes looking straight ahead.

"B-but it's raining!" He exclaimed. "Let me take you home!"

She stopped and turned to look out one of the windows. The clouds _were _starting to look a little darker, but it wasn't down pouring. A low, far-off rumble sounded in the distance. She immediately knew why he wanted to take her home. He was concerned about the thunder.

"Th-thank you, Tamaki-sempai. I think I might take you up on that offer, after all." She said slowly. _Why didn't I check the weather report this morning?_

"Tamaki, don't be an idiot." Kyoya's icy voice emerged from the clubroom, as he stepped out proudly from the shadows. "You don't live even remotely close to Haruhi."

"What? That has nothing to do with it! Can't a daddy take his daughter home even if it's out of the way? Haruhi already said I could! So, don't worry about it, Mommy!"

"Tamaki, I have to go to the airport after school today to pick up my brother. That means I'll be driving right past Haruhi's apartment complex. It won't be any trouble for me to drop her off."

"B-but… But…" Tamaki stammered, blinking. "But… I WANTED TO DO IT!"

"Relax, Tamaki, it'll be troublesome for you to take her. Just let me."

_Why's he acting like this? What benefit could he possibly get from taking me home? Still…_

"Yeah, Tamaki-sempai." Haruhi said softly, as more low thunder slowly rumbled behind her. "I think Kyoya-sempai has a point. I'll just see you tomorrow."

"Fine, but be careful, okay? And if you need anything, call me! Daddy will come over in a rush! Even if Mommy's closer!"

xXx

"Haruhi, you're especially quiet." Kyoya said in the limo. It was bumper-to-bumper traffic—the exact reason Haruhi usually didn't mind walking home.

"Am I?" she asked. Tearing her gaze from the slow moving traffic.

"Yes." He said plainly.

"Oh." Several moments of silence followed before the limo trudged forward a foot or two.

"How are your studies going, Haruhi?" He didn't seem particularly interested; it was more like he didn't like the silence.

"Fine."

"That's good."

_Why is he making small talk? I should ask him. No, he'll just get offended. Maybe I should—_

"You forgot to measure the tea." He interrupted her thoughts.

"What?"

"The reason that the tea wasn't quite right was that you didn't measure. You should really read the label to find the right ratio of tea to water." He explained.

"Oh. Sorry, Kyoya-sempai." It went back to being awkward.

"My brother," Kyoya began again. "Is coming back from a business trip in New York. I'm supposed to pick him up."

"That's nice of you…" _Why is he telling me this? Why is this so uncomfortable? It's not even raining anymore! The storm has totally passed! Can I just get out here?_

"I suppose it is. Say, Haruhi?"

"Yes?"

"This is awkward, isn't it?"

She sighed. _Isn't it obvious that it's awkward? Does he really have to ask?_

"That's about right."

"I make you uncomfortable?"

"Ah— that isn't what I said!" She defended. "I only meant that—"

"This is your stop." He said coolly and she realized that they were in front of her complex.

"Thank you, Kyoya-sempai." She got out of the car, shutting the door behind her.

"By the way, Haruhi," He rolled down the window, "I think you and I should have a talk tomorrow." The window went back up and the car pulled away.

"The hell…?" she muttered to herself and headed up the stairs to her apartment.

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><p><strong>A.N.: Oh, my god that was so awkward to write because of all the silences the scene in my head had! I realize that Kyoya is a little OOC, but I think it will make more sense in the next chapter. <strong>**I promise actual plot is coming soon! And just in case you were wondering,** **there WILL be some romance in future chapters ;)**


	3. I Never Asked

_**You've got opinions man: we're all entitled to them, but I never asked. Let me thank you for your time, try not to waste any more of mine. Get out of here, fast.**_

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><p>"Haru-chan!" Honey-sempai sang from down the hall. Haruhi was on her usual schedule of arriving two or three minutes late to host club. Lately she had realized that even if she was a little bit late, no one noticed and they had less time to pick on her. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy being a member of the host club; it was more that she had needed a small break every now and again.<p>

"Honey-sempai!" She smiled. "Where's Mori-sempai?"

"Takashi? He's still in the clubroom," Honey stopped his manic waving, assured that he had her full attention. "Come on, Haru-chan! You're late!"

"Am I?" She pretended to check her watch, but of course she knew he was right.

Upon entering the third music room, she noticed how much had changed since the first time she'd walked in there. Honey-sempai didn't have his Usa-chan. Mori-sempai, who finally spoke up for himself, had made Honey-sempai leave it at home after graduating high school. Hikaru and Kaoru, although still joined at the hip, we're living up to their promise of being two different people: Hikaru's red hair had even been dyed brown! Tamaki had even begun to mellow out a little bit.

"Haruhi. You're late." Kyoya said. _Of course he noticed. Maybe not everyone has changed._

"Sorry, Sempai."

"Haruhi! Costumers will be here soon," Tamaki put his hand on her shoulder. "Let's get ready."

"Shouldn't you tell her, boss?" Hikaru said solemnly. His tone caught Haruhi off guard and she turned to see his face. He and Kaoru wore matching looks of melancholy mixed with frustration.

"What's going on, Tamaki-sempai?" Haruhi looked around to see if anyone else was confused as she was. They weren't. _Serves me right for being late, I guess,_ she thought.

"Haruhi," Tamaki looked down. "This will be the last time the host club is open for business."

"What?" Haruhi exclaimed. He smiled weakly at her. "Oh, I get it. It's a joke, right, Honey-sempai?"

He nodded gravely at her, tears welling in his eyes.

"I'm afraid he's completely serious, Haruhi." Kyoya said. _Who asked you, Kyoya-sempai?_

"I am." Tamaki chuckled, walking over to the large windows. "After I move into the main residence, I won't be able to stay after school anymore. So, we've decided to disband."

"Don't laugh, Tamaki-sempai!" she shouted. "I can't believe you'd make a decision like that without me! Aren't I just as much a member of this club as all of you?"

"Haruhi?" Kaoru placed a hand on her back.

"No! I— won't allow this!" She said strongly, shrugging Kaoru off of her. "We'll figure something out!"

"I'm afraid it isn't up to you." Kyoya stated bluntly. "We're disbanding. End of story. Now calm down, the customers will be here soon."

"I won't calm down! This isn't fair! We should, I don't know, vote or something!"

"Haru-chan…" Honey hugged her arm. "It'll be okay. It's not the end, yet. Let's do our best today, okay?"

"Yeah." Mori agreed. _I almost forgot he was here…_

"… Okay. Let's do our best." She grudgingly agreed. Until it threatened to disband, she hadn't realized how much she loved the host club.

"Atta girl." Tamaki ruffled her hair. "You make daddy proud." And for the first time, she didn't mind him calling himself "daddy".

Everything changes when you know it's the end.

XxX

"Haruhi, a word?" Her last day of hosting had gone by much too quickly and just as she was getting ready to leave for the last time, Kyoya's voice caught her ear. She suddenly remembered what he had said the day before about wanting to talk to her.

"Um, yeah, Sempai?"

"Take a seat."

_There he goes again. Has he always been so unbearably cold? I can almost remember when it was okay to be alone with Kyoya-sempai…_

"I'm sorry not to have told you about this yesterday," He began. "I'm sure you're upset about this development, but you'll get over it, trust me."

"I don't—"

"Oh, by the way, I think it may even be for the best, don't you?" He interupted.

"For the best?" _What could he possibly mean by that?_

"After all, it was only a matter of time before the club split up anyways. Better sooner than later, right?" He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Why is that, Kyoya-sempai?" She said, curious. "Why would the host club have to split up, anyways?"

"Because… Are you really that clueless?" He sighed. "Tamaki is obviously in love with you. There's no way the club would stay together once he realized that. And the best part of that is… You love him back, don't you?"

She fought the urge to slap him, settling instead for a grimace.

"What are you talking about? I don't love… Even if I did, it's none of your business, Sempai." She said it as calmly as she could, not wanting to make a scene.

"But you do." He smirked.

"Who asked you?" she shouted and ran for the door, tears forming behind her eyes. "You don't know anything!"

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><p><strong>A.N.: Just if you were wondering, I don't think I said it, but this takes place in the chapter 70-75 range in the manga. I finished my planning last night, and there will be 12 chapters in total for this story, so that means, I'm a quarter done already! :) I'm really grateful for the story alerts and reviews I've been getting, so, thank you!<strong>


	4. I'm Not Drowning

_**I hate to break it to you, babe, but I'm not drowning. There's no one here to save.**_

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><p><em>I need to go somewhere… Somewhere far from the host club…<em> Haruhi thought, still running down the hall. _Somewhere I can clear my head._

She didn't think she loved Tamaki. She had never thought about that before. Sure, Mei-chan had said that she thought something like that was going on, but to hear it in Kyoya's voice, stated as a fact… It was too much.

"I didn't know the school had a swimming pool…" She found herself in the pool house. It was completely empty, silent. The air was thick and warm and smelled of chlorine, but it was the last place she would run into Tamaki or Kyoya, so she opened the door.

Rolling up the legs of her pants and taking off her socks and shoes she found herself wanting to feel the warm water on her bare skin. So, she took a seat on the edge and tentatively placed her big toe in first.

"Ah," She said, realizing that it was even warmer than she had expected it to be. It felt like bath water. "These damn rich bastards even have perfect swimming pools."

She dipped both legs, up to the knee into the water, leaning back as she did so.

_Plop!_

"Damn it." Her left shoe fell into the deep end of the pool. She took off her jacket, watch and tie, placing them behind her, safely away from the edge. "I guess there's no other way." She took a deep breath and plunged into the water, feet first, making a small splashing sound.

Feeling around underwater, she quickly found her shoe and came up for air. She placed it on the edge, next to her other shoe.

_This is actually kind of nice. _She treaded water, and moved to float on her back. _Since I'm already wet, I might as well…_

She lay there in the pool, just staring at the sky through glass ceiling, for a few minutes. Her thoughts became calm and she started to feel like drifting to sleep.

_No! _She slapped her face to stay awake. _I should probably get out if that's the case…_

Then she remembered Kyoya's words.

"By the way, its for the best don't you think?" _He is so uptight!_ "Tamaki is obviously in love with you… You love him back, don't you?"

She took a deep breath and put her head underwater. _How long can I stay like this?_ She wondered, closing her eyes. _How long can I stay under?_

"HARUHI!" She heard a muffled shout from above. Suddenly, a wave rolled over her, and she realized she wasn't alone. Two strong arms wrapped themselves around her small frame and began pulling her to the surface. Thrashing and beating, she fought to get away.

Breaking the water's surface, she gasped for air. The arms, and the body they were attached to pulled her up onto the tile.

"What the hell?" She choked. She wiped the chlorine from her eyes, to see who had pulled her out.

"Haruhi," Kyoya sputtered. "That was really stupid of you."

"What was?" She said catching her own breath. "You're the one who jumped to conclusions."

"You were going to drown!"

"I was fine, Kyoya-sempai. I know how to swim!" She shouted.

"You could have…" He trailed off and pushed back his dripping hair. "What I mean is that…"

_He's being weird, again._

"You can't die, yet." Her eyes grew wide.

"Kyoya-sempai…"

"Because you still owe us 4,589,332 yen*****."

"Are you kidding me? What are you even doing here, for that matter?"

"I came looking for you," he explained, catching his breath. "I wanted to say that… I'm sorry."

"You're… sorry? About what?" She knew that it was a big deal for him to appologize. It was probably one of his least favorite things.

"I'm sorry about what I said. I don't know your feelings." He admitted. "You're right. And it was wrong of me to say that you loved him, when it's only because I'm the one who…" his voice trailed off.

"The one who, what, Kyoya-sempai?" she asked cautiously.

"The one who…" He threw his arms around the sopping wet Haruhi and pulled her close to his chest. "Promise not to scare me like that again, okay, Haruhi?"

"Kyoya-sempai, what's going on with you lately?"

He laughed heartily and let go of her. "Go find some dry clothes, I can see through your shirt."

"Ah!" She blushed as she covered her chest and quickly put her jacket back on.

_This guy is impossible to understand._

They stood up, dried off and went their separate ways.

Needless to say, this is not how Haruhi had imagined her day to go.

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><p><strong>A.N.: I know. This is super literal. I know! Ah! I wish it wasn't but this is the only way I could make it work! :( I think it turned out okay, though, right?<strong>

*** P.S. Yes. Yes, I did go back and look up exactly how much money Haruhi owed the host club in chapter 74… Accuracy FTW :)**


	5. Who Cares If You Disagree?

_**Who cares if you disagree? You are not me. Who made you king of anything?**_

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><p><em>Haruhi,<em>

_What are you doing after school?_

_-Kaoru_

The note was waiting for her on her desk in homeroom. She looked over to Kaoru's desk where he sat trying (but not succeeding) to look inconspicuous. He had a newspaper poised in front of his face and dark sunglasses on. He lowered the newspaper slightly to give her a thumbs-up.

_Kaoru probably thinks he's a super spy or something._ She rolled her eyes.

Quickly, she found a scrap piece of paper in her bag. She got out a pen and scrawled:

_If you want to ask me something, you should use your words, Kaoru._

_-Haruhi_

Without even bothering to play along, Haruhi placed the note on his desk.

"Hey!" He said. "That's not fair! You broke your own rule!"

"I guess I did, didn't I?"

"So, answer the question! Are you doing anything?" He insisted on an answer.

"Um, no. The host club won't be meeting, and I haven't really made any other plans, so…"

"Awesome! You can come with Kyoya and I to help the boss pack his room!"

"Kyoya?" She asked. _Come to think of it…_ "Hey, Kaoru, where's Hikaru?"

"Doctor's!" He said a little too hastily. "Hikaru had… a fever last night! I think it's probably just stress from the boss's announcement yesterday. He's sensitive like that. But what does that matter? Hmm? Let's just forget about him for right now, okay?"

"I guess," she said, suspicious. "By the way, what's with espionage act?"

"Oh, these?" He said, realizing he was still wearing the dark glasses. "Kyoya said to keep this on the down low. I guess he's worried about costumers wanting to help, too. Did I take it too far?"

"Maybe a little bit." She giggled.

_Kyoya-sempai said to "keep it on the down low", did he? Geez, since when did he start being the boss of everyone?_

xxx

"Ah, there you two are," Tamaki said when Kaoru and Haruhi arrived at the Suoh second residence. "Kyoya said that you'd be here a while ago…"

"What? Is Kyoya not here yet, either?" Kaoru said taking a look around Tamaki's bedroom. It was big, with high ceilings and fancy wallpaper. Haruhi couldn't remember seeing such an opulent bedroom in her life.

_Then again, I guess I should be used to it by now._

"Oh, no, he was here earlier, but I guess we needed more boxes, so he went to get some." Tamaki went back to sorting through his clothes.

"Need some help, Sempai?" Haruhi fidgeted. She hated being unproductive. Tamaki's door opened slowly.

"No, no, Haruhi, I'll take care of that, why don't you just set up some more boxes for us." Kyoya said placing a large stack of unfolded cardboard boxes beside her. "Tamaki, you don't mind that I just let myself in, do you?"

"You usually do," Tamaki sighed. "Kaoru, don't touch that!"

A small shoebox fell from the bookshelf.

"Sorry, boss. Hey, are these bath salts?" Kaoru peeked inside. "Wow. That's a lot of bath salts…"

"KAORU! I SAID DON'T TOUCH!" Tamaki shouted. Kaoru put the lid back on the box and tucked it under his arm. Suddenly he made a mad dash out the door. "H-hey! Where are you going?"

Tamaki raced out after him, leaving Kyoya and Haruhi alone again. It was quiet for a few minutes before Haruhi decided to break the silence.

"Sempai… Thank you for yesterday. Even if you didn't know what was going on, it was nice of you to try and help me."

"Hmm? Oh, that? Like I said, I really only came to help because it was my fault." He folded a shirt. "Besides there's still the matter of your—"

"Of my debt?" She guessed. "You can't keep hiding behind reasons like that Kyoya-sempai. I know that you aren't as cold as you try to seem."

He stopped folding and looked at her in awe.

"It's okay to care about people, Sempai."

He hurriedly went back to sorting. "I don't think you understand me at all."

"I'm sure I don't," She admitted. "But that's only because you won't let anyone understand you properly. Kyoya-sempai, we both know that behind your tough exterior, you're really a nice person. You should stop pretending. I like the real you better."

At that moment, Tamaki's bedroom door flew open. A sulking Kaoru was being lead in by the ear by Tamaki, who held the shoebox in his other hand.

"Let this be a warning!" Tamaki let go of Kaoru's ear and punched a fist into the air. "Nobody touch my precious treasures!"

"You call those commoners' market bath salts treasures, Tamaki?" Kyoya said frigidly. This sent Tamaki into a fit of depression and he began sulking in the corner.

"We all know Kyoya's in charge, anyway, boss." Kaoru said, smiling and patting Tamaki's back.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

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><p><strong>A.N.: Wow, I've gotten more story alerts than I expected for a songfic... That makes me really happy! I had hoped to update two chapters a night, but I don't think I'm going to have chapter 6 just right tonight, like I had planned. Look forward to it tomorrow evening, please!<strong>

**P.S. Did you notice the part about Hikaru being "at the doctor"? I promise I'll get back to that ;)**


	6. Tell Me Who to Be

_**So you dare tell me who to be? Who died and made you king of anything?**_

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><p>The next day, at lunch, Haruhi found herself in desperate need of Hikaru's help on the physics assignment. He had promised to help her on it the day before, but he hadn't been there.<p>

_Where was he, again? The doctor's office? I'm still not sure I believe that… Oh, maybe he's in the library catching up from yesterday!_

Sure enough, she found him, head down on a desk in the back of the fourth library room.

"Hikaru? Are you sleeping?" Haruhi put her hand on his shoulder and he bolted up. Hikaru turned a bespectacled eye to look at her. "Hikaru! You got… glasses?"

"Yeah, I did…" He blushed. "Do you like them?"

"I didn't know that you had troubles with your eyesight." She studied his new frames, which were made of very thin silver wire. They had an oval shape, that didn't compliment his long face very well. In other words, they looked very familiar. "They almost look like Kyoya-sempai's…"

"Ah, you do like them! I'm so happy!" He smiled devilishly as he adjusted his specs.

"I didn't actually say that," she tried to explain.

"But you said they look like Kyoya-sempai's!"

"What looks like Kyoya-sempai's?" A voice from behind Hikaru caused him to all but jump out of his skin. He slowly looked over his shoulder to see Kyoya, not looking very happy, at that. "Oh, Hikaru, you got glasses."

"Y-yeah. I did." Hikaru stammered.

"And they look just like mine." Kyoya menaced.

"D-do they?"

"So, do you think that they make you more like me? For some reason I get the feeling that's why you bought them, isn't it?" It wasn't really a question.

"Well, I—"

"Excuse me, Kyoya-sempai. Did you need something?" Haruhi tried to politely interject.

"As a matter of fact," He grabbed her thin wrist. "Hikaru, I'll be borrowing Haruhi for a while. I'm sure you won't mind." He proceeded to drag a protesting Haruhi out of the library room behind him. "We may or may not return, don't waste time worrying."

"A kidnapping?" Hikaru mused aloud. "Or just more alone time?"

XXX

"What are we doing here?" She asked realizing that they were in front of the third music room. She read the tape across the door:

"The Host Club is closed to business: Indefinitely."

_Seeing it written like that makes me feel slightly empty inside._

Kyoya pulled back the tape and turned the lock with the key he always kept in his jacket pocket.

"Are we going in?" She asked, feeling a little bit lame.

"Haruhi. Just be quiet for a minute." He didn't look at her as he said it, focusing his attentions on the lock, which was being particularly stubborn. She noticed the way the muscles on his back moved as he tried rotating the key this way, then that. For no particular reason, she remembered how his arms had felt around her in the pool: stable. She blushed and Kyoya pushed open the door.

"Please, sit," he said, motioning towards the couch. The lights were all off, but beams of sunlight funneled into the room anyway. Seeing the room like that almost made her nostalgic.

"What's this about, Kyoya-sempai? Lunch will be over relatively soon…"

"This is more important than that, Haruhi." He paced in front of the couch where she sat uncomfortably. "Let me ask you something."

"Sure, Sempai, what is it?" She permitted him tentatively.

"You don't ever lie, do you?" He stopped pacing to listen for her answer.

"You mean besides about my gender? No. I don't have any reason to. Why do you ask so suddenly?"

"Then in that case," He sat down on the couch beside her and sighed. "I've thought about what you said. I decided you were right."

"About what, sempai?" He took her small hand in his and studied it for a moment, turning it over to look at the palm. He placed it back on her lap and removed his glasses.

"You said that I couldn't keep hiding behind the debt, that it's okay to care about people. So, that's why… I've decided. Haruhi Fujioka, you are no longer in debt to the host club."

"What are you talking about Kyoya-sempai?" she asked, offended.

"I'll cover your expenses. You don't have to worry about it anymore, consider it taken care of."

"No." She interrupted, defiantly. "There is no way that I will allow it. No matter how long or how much it takes, I can settle my own debt. I won't let all of this time I've spent go to waste! I still owe you around four million yen and I'm not going to stop until I've paid it all!"

"Haruhi?" He sounded genuinely surprised that she hadn't jumped at his offer.

"That wasn't the point, Sempai!" The clock tower chimed once. "Look, I'd love to stay and have you take pity on me, but I have to go to class." She stood up and left him to sit alone in the darkened clubroom.

"That wasn't the point, Haruhi."

* * *

><p><strong>A.N.: I'm glad this turned out like it did! This was definitely worth a second editing... The Hikaru parts are just getting started (I know, your reading it for Kyoya, anyway!) and the part from the last chapter hasn't been explained yet, so don't freak out if you don't know exactly what's going on!<strong>


	7. You Sound So Innocent

_**You sound so innocent. All full of good intent— Swear you know best.**_

* * *

><p><em>I can't <strong>believe <strong>that guy!_

"Haruhi!" Hikaru swarmed to her as she reached the hall out side their classroom. Noticing how mad she looked, he became concerned. "Wow. What did the Shadow King do to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it, really." She said.

"You seem really pissed. What happened?"

"He was trying to be nice, but I guess he doesn't practice a lot, because he isn't very good at it." _Erase my debt, ha! As though he could have said that at anytime!_ "Hey, where are your new glasses?"

His hand flew to his face. He checked his pockets, rummaged his bag and then it hit him. "Damn it! I left them in the library room!" He checked his watch, and then reminded himself, "I guess I still have a few minutes before class starts, so if I run…"

"Hikaru, can I ask you something?"

"Anything!"

"Do you need those glasses or did you really just get them because of Kyoya-sempai?"

"Well," He pulled at the hair on the back of his neck. "I guess if I'm being honest with myself… It would have to be because of Kyoya-sempai."

"Why would you do that?" She said, unblinking.

"Hikaru? Haruhi?" Kaoru poked his head out the classroom door. "What are you two doing? Come on! Class is starting!"

Reluctantly, Haruhi trudged into the classroom. Hikaru followed, deciding that maybe he didn't need those glasses after all.

xXx

_Riiiing. Riiiing. Riiiing._

"Hello?" Kyoya answered his phone from the back seat of the limo on his way home.

"You! What did you do to Haruhi today!" Hikaru's accusatory tone and brash voice blared through Kyoya's earpiece, causing him to move it a few inches farther from his ear. Apparently, no one had ever taught Hikaru phone etiquette.

"You tell me, what _did_ I do to Haruhi? I'm afraid I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about, Hikaru." He remembered the enraged look on her face as she had stormed out of the clubroom, but decided playing dumb was really the best strategy in this situation.

"You bastard! You know what you did! She was so upset… What did you say to her?" Hikaru's temperature was rising by the minute. "Does this have something to do with the pool house?"

"The pool house? I don't follow."

"Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about! I know you do! I saw the two of you… You were all wet and hugging, and to be honest, you kind of looked like lovers."

"That sounds like an accusation rather than an observation to me." Kyoya defended. "Besides, it's none of your business if I'm Haruhi's lover or not. Haruhi is not yours to protect and shelter."

"That's… I don't care, Kyoya-sempai! I know it's not my job, but I'm still going to be there, making sure that no one hurts her! Even if Haruhi loves you, even if you love her back, I won't give up, no matter what!"

"_Hikaru? Who are you talking to?"_ The static-y sound of Kaoru's voice could be heard in the background of the call. Hikaru hung up.

Kyoya stared at his phone for a minute wondering what Haruhi had said to make Hikaru so apprehensive.

"Driver? We need to make an unscheduled stop."

XxX

Kyoya extended his finger to ring the bell of the Fujioka apartment. Quickly, he took it back, not sure any longer if that was what he really wanted to do. That was the second almost-ring. The third time's the charm, but just as his finger grazed the button, the door flew open and Ranka almost ran him over.

"Kyoya-kun? What are you doing here? Isn't it almost dinnertime? Shouldn't you be at home?" Ranka asked.

"I suppose I should be, it's just that Haruhi-san and I had a misunderstanding earlier today, and I came to properly apologize."

"Oh, I hate to have to say so, but Haruhi isn't home right now," Ranka said regretfully. "But I really do have to be on my way, or I'll be late for work. I'll be sure to tell her you stopped by but you know how Haruhi is about holding grudges…"

"Oh, of course. Let me walk you out, Ranka-san."

"You're such a gentleman, Kyoya-kun! It's a shame that you and Haruhi are fighting. I'm sure it's all her fault, right?"

"Dad, that's not very nice to say," Haruhi pointed out on her way up the stairs, groceries in hand.

"Oh, Haruhi! Daddy's just kidding! Of you're the one whose side I'll take, no matter what!" he quickly covered his tracks. "I'll be back at 11 sharp! So don't stay up for me, you have school tomorrow!"

And with that Ranka flew down the stairs, leaving Haruhi and Kyoya with a thick air of tension about them.

"Why do we always end up like this when we're alone?" Kyoya asked quietly, after a few excruciating seconds of silence.

"Like what, Sempai?" She asked cautiously, forgetting for a moment that she was still mad at him.

"When it's just the two of us, it feels, I don't know," He searched for a moment for the right word, studying the texture of the concrete between them. "Strange."

"That's how I would describe it." She said it with an edge to remind him that she was upset. "Why did you suddenly come to my house, Sempai?"

"To explain myself, I guess. I didn't try to make you feel like I pitied you. Really, I only thought that's what you meant yesterday. I was only trying to give you what you wanted. So that's why," He bowed his head with a jerk. "I am sincerely sorry, Haruhi."

"I know Sempai. I over reacted, so I'm sorry, too." She shifted the groceries to the other arm. "I know that you really only had my best interest at heart, but you didn't consider how much I grew to love the host club."

"I also didn't consider how much I grew to love you."

* * *

><p><strong>A.N.: This may seem like an awkward place to end the chapter, but I'm doing it anyway! Ha ha… More than half done :)<strong>

**I hope that you liked this one, because it's definitely been one the hardest to write so far. Chapter 8 will be up tomorrow (I'm finishing the first draft now, and it's frustrating me, but I hope it will turn out okay…)**


	8. You Expect Me To

**(Warning: This chapter contains a blatant manga spoiler in the second half that's kind of already been alluded to... If you don't care, keep reading, but if you do keep reading and get upset by it, it's not my fault!)**

_**But you expect me to jump up on board with you and ride off into your delusional sunset?**_

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, Sempai, but I think I just misheard you," Haruhi began, flustered. "Could you maybe say that just one more time?"<p>

"What I said was," Kyoya was suddenly embarrassed. "I think that I'm in love with you."

Haruhi stood perfectly still, eyes unblinking, as though she were stuck in time. She couldn't process his words. _I think that I know what he just said, but what do those words mean to him?_

"Could you please say something, Haruhi?" he was growing less and less confident with every silent second he spent listening to her inhale and exhale, unable to breathe himself.

"I… don't know what to say, Kyoya-sempai." She stammered, shifting her groceries once more, realizing that they grew heavier by the moment.

"Oh, here, let me help you with those." He took the groceries, and she unlocked the front door. They walked in together.

_The Kyoya-sempai I know wouldn't offer to do something like that…_

"Haruhi," He said, placing the large bag of groceries on the counter, "You know, it's very rude to ignore a confession of love like that."

"It is. I know that," She began to unpack the bag to keep herself busy. "What should I say to something like that? I'm not really sure…"

"That's ridiculous. You've been confessed to so many times, how could you not know how to react to a confession?" His blood pressure momentarily rose. She shrugged her shoulders, avoiding eye contact. Seeing that she was absolutely clueless, he decided to prompt her. "Tell me what you think of me. Tell me whether or not you return my feelings at all."

"Um, how do I feel about Kyoya-Sempai?" She pondered aloud. At last, she found exactly the way to describe him. "You're cold, but not as cold as you act. When I'm alone with you, it's hard for me to think clearly and I have difficulty expressing myself properly. I've often wondered why you are the way that you are, but every time I think about it, it becomes more clear how little I actually understand you."

He stiffened at her words, thinking that they were a little too harsh to be followed a confession of her own.

"To continue," She didn't dare meet his gaze, although his eyes bore into her soul. "I often find myself annoyed by you, or feel that you are annoyed by me. You put up walls so that people don't get too close to you…"

"Haruhi, if that's the way you feel, you can stop now." He leaned back on the wall behind him, letting her words sink in.

"I'm not finished yet, Kyoya-sempai." She looked at him for the first time since entering the house. "Despite all that, in the end, to say that I don't care about you… would be a lie."

"Haruhi? What are you saying?" His eyes met hers and her face grew warm.

"What I'm saying is… You're important to me. I think that maybe if I had time, I could come to accept and return your feelings, but more importantly, I want to be able to do that."

"Really?" He fought a grin.

"Absolutely, Kyoya-Sempai." She smiled.

"Please don't call me that," He rested a hand on her head.

"Then just… Kyoya?" she tried it on for size and decided she liked the way his name felt without honorifics. She looked up at him. "Hey, Kyoya?"

_That feels so much better. I could get used to calling him that._

"Yes, Haruhi?"

"Do you want to stay for dinner?"

"I'd be honored."

xxx

Hikaru pounded on the door to Mori's dojo, almost knocking it off its frame. "Moooo-riiii-sempai! Open up!"

"Hikaru?" Mori pulled the door back. "Again?"

"Yes! I need to talk to you, straight away!"

Mori stepped aside, allowing Hikaru to barge into the room. They were alone. Mori was somewhat used to Hikaru's sporadic intrusions, usually, he came barging in whenever something went wrong between he and Haruhi or Kaoru, begging for advice.

"Do you need help cleaning up?" Hikaru asked, trying to be polite.

"I already did." He looked around, thinking he had done a pretty okay job at that.

"Oh. Sorry, Mori-sempai… Well the reason I came here was because I need advice and Kaoru isn't being helpful at all! He's being totally bias about the whole situation, taking Kyoya-sempai's side and everything! Can you believe that?" He said it all in one breath.

"What situtation?"

"Oh, right," Sometimes Hikaru forgot that Mori wasn't a mind reader. "So, on the day that you and Honey-sempai visited, I left my English notebook in the second library room. I went back to get it, but as I passed the pool house, I saw Kyoya and Haruhi… embracing. And they were all wet! Like they'd taken a swim together!"

"So?"

"So… I got jealous again. I was so jealous that I couldn't even bring myself to go to school the next day! But I didn't want Haruhi to know I how jealous I was, because that isn't cool and obviously to get her to like me, I have to be cool, like Kyoya-sempai… So I made Kaoru promise not to tell her why I wasn't there."

Mori nodded to show he was paying attention.

"Okay, so when I stayed home, I made a plan: The Get-Haruhi-To-Like-Me-By-Being-More-Like-The-Shadow-King Plan! It was really good. I got fake glasses and everything, but then Haruhi and Kyoya got into a fight or something, so I thought maybe being like Kyoya wasn't a good idea, after all since she was mad at him."

"Mhm."

"You should have seen her face, Mori-sempai. She was so upset. I couldn't go on just NOT saying anything… So when I got home I called him to find out what happened and to calmly explain that I wouldn't stand for him bullying Haruhi." Hikaru explained.

"Calmly?" Mori scoffed.

"Okay, so I chewed him out… That's not the point. The point is that when Kaoru heard me… calmly explaining myself… he took Kyoya-sempai's side saying it was none of my business! What'll I do? What if Kyoya tell Haruhi how jealous I was? And she starts hating me?"

"Hikaru?" Mori interrupted.

"I mean, if she doesn't already. I think she might maybe hate me because I went out and got glasses in the first place—"

"Hikaru!" Mori's deep voice was a little louder than usual. Not much, though: just enough to catch Hikaru's attention.

"Y-yes?"

"I think you should calm down."

"O-okay." Hikaru's voice grew soft. "Then what should I do?"

"You've already told her how you feel?"

"Yes! She rejected me flat out, remember?"

"Then, now you stand back and let her figure out how to be happy on her own."

* * *

><p><strong>A.N.: This chapter gave me a headache or two… I'm sorry about manga spoiling Hikaru's confessionrejection, but I guess you were warned! Mori is so hard to write, but when I'm finished I usually like how he turns out… **

**When I'm at school, I write down all my ideas for this story in one of my composition books. Whenever anyone asks me what I'm writing, I close it quickly, give a vague answer and laugh thinking I feel like Kyoya :)**


	9. Maps With My Name on Them

_**I'm not the one who's lost with no direction, oh, but you'll never see. You're too busy making maps with my name on them in all caps. You got the talking down, just not the listening.**_

* * *

><p>"Thanks for the meal." Kyoya said as he filled the sink with soapy water. Their meal had been delicious if unaccustomed. She had prepared a spicy curry dish that he found himself to genuinely enjoy, but he had been nervous, and without realizing it, had spend a good five minutes just pushing noodles around.<p>

"You're welcome. Um, Kyoya-sem— Kyoya?" Haruhi said, setting her bowl on the on the counter next to his. Maybe old habits really do die hard.

"Yes?" he chose to ignore the slip.

"Does this mean… that you're my boyfriend?" She looked at her bowl, embarrassed by her own question.

"I suppose it does," He smiled into the sink. "If you'll have me, that is."

"Should we tell the guys, then?" She met his gaze. "I mean, I think that they sort of have the right to know, don't you?"

"I don't see how it affects them at all."

"I guess, but I'd like to tell them, anyway. Telling someone will make it seem real, I think, and obviously, we won't be able to act like a couple at school much on account of my… situation." Haruhi explained. _This definitely will seem like a dream until I tell someone, and telling my_ _dad will be weird…_

"I understand, but I don't think it's a good idea. Can you imagine how those guys would react?"

"I don't think it really matters how they react." She smiled at him again. He was beginning to wonder how long he had ignored the feeling he got in his stomach when she did that. "If it's the truth, then it's the truth. They might be shocked at first, but after they get used to it, they'll get over it."

"You have such a simplistic view on everything, Haruhi," Kyoya sighed. "I'm sure that they will be shocked, but that's not the reaction I'm worried about."

"Hm?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, they all love you."

"They all love you, too, Kyoya." She said confused. "Don't people want to see the people they love be happy?"

"They don't love me the same _way_ they love you." He emphasized, scrubbing the bowls with unnecessary force. "They are all _in love_ with you. And I think that they'd be upset to learn that you… and I…"

"I don't understand." She picked up a towel and dried the dishes, one by one.

"Of course you don't." He sighed again, finishing last dish and drying his hands off. He turned to look at her. "I don't want to tell them."

"That's not entirely your decision to make, Kyoya." She looked at him with defiance in her eyes.

"Are you going to fight me on everything?" He stared back at her with equal intensity, before breaking suddenly to softness. "Nevermind, let's talk about this tomorrow. I'm going to go home."

She walked him to the door, feeling as though somehow she had lost the fight. He had emerged the bigger person. As usual. _Is __**he**__ going to fight with __**me**__ on everything?_

He was a step from the threshold when, suddenly he turned back. He just stood for a moment, looking at her. The expression on her face told him that she was unsure of something, and he sincerely hoped it wasn't him.

"To be clear, Haruhi," He cleared his throat. "Whatever we decide to do, it won't change the way I feel about you." He leaned down and kissed her cheek before hurrying out the door, closing it quickly behind him. She was left in shock, staring at the closed door.

XxXxX

"Kao-chan?" Honey said as he poked his head out his window. "Is that you? What are you doing here when it's dark out?"

"AH! Honey-sempai! You scared me," Kaoru said, unaware that Honey had been able to see him the whole while. He had been standing outside of Honey's place for almost an hour, debating with himself whether or not to knock. "I'm sorry for coming so late, but I just wanted to talk to someone… who isn't Hikaru."

"Don't stand outside, then! Get in here!" Honey exclaimed. Kaoru proceeded to climb (really to fall) in through Honey's window. "What do you need to talk about, Kao-chan? Is it Haruhi again?"

Kaoru shook his head, sadly. "I wish it were so simple."

"What's wrong? Do you need to hold Usa-chan!" Honey scrambled about his room trying to find his bunny among all of his other stuffed toys. When he finally found it, he thrust it into Kaoru's arms and looked at him expectantly.

"I'll be fine, Honey-sempai. Don't worry… It's just… How do I start this?" He wondered aloud. "Hikaru is definitely the jealous type. I know that. I always have. He's jealous and possessive and, to be honest, all-around clingy. But he's not a liar. So I can believe him when he tells me what he saw."

"What did Hika-chan see?" Honey asked, a little confused, but confident that Kaoru would tell the story properly in good time.

"He saw Haruhi and Kyoya… together. He said they looked like a couple. And he was so jealous that he stayed home 'sick' from school and got a really bad pair of fake glasses. I guess all of that got me thinking about how I would feel if that were true about Haruhi and Kyoya."

"And you realized that you actually would like to pursue Haruhi as a woman, after all?" Honey guessed.

"No." He shook his head softly. "I realized that there is someone more important to me than Haruhi."

"Hika-chan!" Honey thought for sure he knew the answer.

"Someone more important to me than Hikaru, even."

"Wha~?" Honey became more than a little confused. "Who?"

"I think I'm in love Honey-sempai." Kaoru said lightly. "I think that there's a good chance that I'm in love with Kyoya, and it scares me to death."

* * *

><p><strong>A.N.: Dun-dun-duh! I'm sure you just hate my quasi-cliffhangers. Ah, finally I feel like this is worthy of being uploaded… but just barely. I could have done SO much better with this chapter…<strong>

**Victoria5624: Life... Life is a fickle friend. Sometimes it likes you; sometimes it violently kills your ability to write a decent chapter with a sledgehammer. So it goes (Ah, Kurt Vonnegut slips in…). Thanks for asking! :)**


	10. It's My Turn To Decide

**(I'm not repeating the chorus. I would, but for the sake of moving the story along…)**

_**All my life, I've tried to make everybody happy while I just hurt and hide, waiting for someone to tell me it's my turn to decide.**_

* * *

><p>The sky was dark outside of Tamaki's new bedroom in the Suoh Main Residence. He was starved for sleep and knew that he was going to suffer in class the next day, but he just couldn't bring himself to drift away. He had to wait. Just a little longer, until he was sure it was safe…<p>

Rolling over to the side, he quickly reached under the bed and grabbed his right school shoe. It had taken practice, but over the past three days he had finally mastered the art of sneaking his cell phone into the house. Even though his grandmother had forbidden him from after school activities, phone privileges, and making pleasantries with the staff, he was more creative than she had given him credit for.

Speed dial. His speed dial list was short. He only needed four numbers: Kyoya (of course), Kaoru (who was almost always with Hikaru), Honey-sempai and Haruhi. Mori-sempai didn't like to talk on the phone, so Tamaki always relied on Honey-sempai to relay the message.

He dialed Haruhi, trying to keep quiet, just in case anyone was still awake.

"He-hello?" A sleepy voice answered.

"HARUHI!" He shouted, overjoyed to finally hear her voice, even though she had helped him pack the last few things from his room just a day or so before. Remembering that he was supposed to be quiet he lowered his voice and tried again. "Haruhi…"

"S-sempai?"

"Yes, it's Daddy, Haruhi!"

"Do you know what time it is Sempai?" He rolled over and checked his alarm clock.

"It's three in the morning. Is that too early?"

"Do you have to ask? It's way too early!" She sounded more frustrated than he had expected her to. "I'm going back to bed now."

"No! Haruhi wait! I have something important to ask you!" He tried to whisper and scream at the same time, the result leaving his voice husky.

"What is it Tamaki-sempai?" She said, impatiently rubbing her eyes.

"I know," His voice was still rough, so he cleared his throat. "I know that when Grandmother is so kind, I should be thankful, but… The Main Residence is like a prison, Haruhi! How am I supposed to get through the day without seeing all of my friends after school?"

"Tamaki-sempai, I'm sorry, but do you actually have a point?"

"Yes, I have a point!" Tamaki exclaimed. "What are you doing for lunch tomorrow— eh, today?"

"Lunch? Shouldn't I get through breakfast first?"

"The Host Club Long Awaited Lunch Meeting is tomorrow at lunchtime in the courtyard! Don't miss it Haruhi! I've invited Mori-sempai and Honey-sempai, too!"

"I'm hanging up now, sempai."

"Daddy loves his little g—eh? Haruhi? Did you hang up?"

"_Beep…beep…beep…"_

XxxxX

"Kaoru? Have you seen my tie?" Hikaru knocked on his brother's door, peeking his head in ever so slightly. "Kaoru?"

Hikaru went to investigate. The bed seemed empty, but just to be sure; he ripped the comforter off the bed and threw it on the floor. Pushing the blanket aside, he peered under the bed, which was also, incredibly Kaoru-less. Quickly, Hikaru ran to the closet and rummaged behind suit coats, jeans and some of their mother's more creative designs that Kaoru had accepted, but never worn. He found his tie, but no Kaoru. He suddenly remembered the bathroom and raced to find his brother, but after examining under the sink and all, Hikaru decided that Kaoru must have already gone downstairs.

On his way out, he saw a small purple sticky note hanging on the inside doorknob of Kaoru's door. Peeling it off, he saw that it read:

_Hikaru,_

_If I'm not here, it's because I spent the night at Honey-sempai's. Don't worry about me._

"Don't worry? Why didn't he put this on the outside of the door?" He flipped the note between his fingers and saw there was a back.

_P.S. I need a clean shirt. And clean up my room, you high-blood pressured freak!_

"How did he know?" Hikaru tidied up (… sort of) and headed downstairs.

When he got to school, he decided to wait in Kaoru's desk, so that he'd be sure not to miss him.

_Bzzz…bzzz._

"Did the desk just vibrate?" He lifted the top to see Kaoru's phone, saying he had two new text messages. The first one was from Tamaki:

_Haruhi got mad when I called, so I'll just message from now on. Let's eat lunch together!_

And the second one was from Honey.

_Kao-chan! You should wait to confess your love… Don't say anything, yet!_

"Confess… love?" Hikaru stared at the screen.

"Is that my phone?" Kaoru strolled into homeroom to see Hikaru looking surprisingly pale.

"Um, yeah. Who are you wanting to confess to?" Hikaru intensely stared at his younger brother who, in turn blushed pale pink. "I'm sorry, but it vibrated… and Honey-sempai said… Well, who is it?"

"No one," Kaoru shook his head back and forth until he was dizzy. He snatched the phone off the desk. "It's rude to read other people's messages."

"I know that, but still. It's rude to lie to your elders!"

"You're older by four minutes." Kaoru pushed Hikaru out of the chair. He landed with oomph_._ "Just so you know, it's not any of your business."

"Haruhi?" Hikaru asked quietly, looking around, to ward off eavesdroppers.

"That's for me know, and you to spaz about."

"Oi!"

XXXXX

"Excuse me, sensei." Kyoya knocked gently on the door to classroom 2-A. He walked into the classroom, and winked at Haruhi for a fraction of a second. He handed a suspicious note to the teacher.

"Haruhi-san? Did you see that? Kyoya-sempai winked at me!" Renge fangirled. Haruhi rolled her eyes. Hikaru gave Kaoru a look as if to ask if Kyoya had really just winked. Kaoru pretended not to notice.

"Fujioka!"

"Yes, sensei?" Haruhi looked up.

"Go with Ootori-san."

"O-okay."

She got to her feet and met Kyoya at the front of the classroom, where their eyes met with a stroke of heat before she left, walking out two paces behind him.

"Don't they look like a couple?" Hikaru asked Kaoru under his breath.

"They… do…" Kaoru blinked.

Out in the hall, Kyoya silently lead Haruhi to the base of the grand staircase, and then without a word, he stopped.

"Kyoya? What's going on?" She asked curiously. "Is everything alright?"

"Haruhi," He turned and looked down into her small, concerned face. "It's time to decide."

"To decide?"

"Are we going to tell the rest of the club, or not?" _As though that were obvious or something… Earlier I would have thought he was being cold, but it doesn't really feel like that, now. Actually, my feelings for him are becoming warmer, too._

"I'm not sure," She said, trying to be as honest as possible. "Actually, I had a strange dream last night that Tamaki wanted all of us, even Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai, to have lunch together, and then I thought: 'What a perfect time to tell everyone…', but that's not going to happen."

"Yes it is," Kyoya pushed a stray hair behind her ear, causing her to shiver. "We're having lunch in the courtyard."

"That wasn't a dream? Well, then I guess… Kyoya, I don't know! I don't want to keep this a secret, because then it would feel like it was wrong, but if we tell them, they might get upset. I know that yesterday I said it didn't matter how they reacted, but now I think that it might…"

"Don't concern yourself with their feelings." He stroked the hair on the back of her neck and lifted her chin, forcing her to make eye contact. "Do what you want to do."

She closed the distance between their faces and met him in a kiss. His lips were unexpectedly soft and warm for someone who gave off the aura of a glacier. Perhaps, he was beginning to melt. When at last they broke for air, she sharply inhaled.

"Kyoya."

"Yes?"

"Let's tell the whole world."

* * *

><p><strong>A.N.: Hi! I promise I'm still here. Exams are next week and you'd be surprised how hard it is for me to focus when I'm so stressed out!<strong>

**Anyway. I had a little more fun with humor and fluffy stuff in this chapter, which is the longest to date. Did you think it was okay? Thanks so much for your reviews and alerts. They always make my day :)**


	11. You Are Not Me

**(The chorus repeats twice here! So I'm going to include it once… Only one more chapter after this!)**

_**Who cares if you disagree? You are not me. Who made you king of anything? So you dare tell me who to be? Who died and made you king of anything?**_

* * *

><p>"Haruhi!" Hikaru urgently got her attention as class ended. She turned, still in her desk to look back at him. She was in a daze, but she figured that it must just be a side effect from kissing boys.<p>

"Woah, what happened to you? You look really flushed…" Kaoru commented. Her hands flew to her face. _Damn it, they know! How could they possibly…_

"Haruhi." Hikaru clenched his jaw. He was fighting a losing battle with jealousy. Kaoru leaned his elbow on his brother's shoulder, preparing to calm him down, "What was that about?"

"Um," She could tell them now, but… _No, it's better to tell everyone at once._ "It was… nothing."

Kaoru shot a skeptical look down at Hikaru, who looked back up at him with a matching expression. After a second they looked back at Haruhi. "We don't believe that." They said in unison.

"I don't care if you believe it." She said plainly, examining the buttons on the cuff of her jacket. _I just have to keep it to myself until lunch…Oh, yeah! Lunch! _"Hey! It's lunchtime! What are we still doing here? Let's go to the courtyard already!" Haruhi bolted out of her chair and shot towards the door. The twins exchanged another look and got up to follow her.

xXXXx

Tamaki had decorated the courtyard beautifully. Flower wreathes and streamers were hanging from every possible place. The table was set for seven. It was the time for celebrating youth and he eagerly awaited the arrival of his friends.

"Tama-chan~" Honey called from the other side of the courtyard. "I brought cake! And Takashi has the picnic basket!"

"Mhm." Mori raised the large basket above his head to show Tamaki.

"Yay! This is going to be great!" He declared.

"Don't get carried away, you idiot." The Shadow King had arrived. "Its just lunch after all, and we'll all be able to do this as often as we can, any way."

"Tell us, Haruhi!" The twins chanted into her ears incessantly. "Tell us now!"

"SHUT UP!" She shouted. "Ugh!"

"Ah, Haruhi!" Tamaki ran to her and picked her up, twirling her in the air.

"Sempai. Put. Me. Down." She angrily scolded. He grudgingly obliged.

"Haruhi," Kyoya nodded at her.

"Kyoya…" she smiled and then remembered. "…Sempai."

"Everyone! Let's eat!" Tamaki exclaimed. The boys filled their plates and began to eat and laugh. Haruhi sat beside Kyoya. He slipped his hand under the table cloth and pressed it into hers. She laced their fingers.

"Excuse me, every one," Haruhi spoke up. "I have an announcement to make."

They all fell silent, staring at her, but she simply looked at her empty plate.

"Kyoya… and I," She hadn't thought about what to say exactly yet. "We're, well, that is to say that…"

"We're together." Kyoya said definitively. "Honey-sempai, could you please pass the onigri?"

"Together?" Honey blinked a few times. "As in…?"

"As in he's my… boyfriend." She blushed, still refusing to make eye contact with anyone athe the table.

"I…" Tamaki sat in shock. "I…" Regaining composure, he quietly cleared his throat, pushed back his chair and walked back into the school. All eyes followed his disappearing outline and it grew quiet. Under the table, Haruhi gripped Kyoya's strong hand tighter.

"I don't approve." Kaoru said solemnly, looking at Kyoya longingly. "I don't think you two are suited for each other."

"Unfortunately, Kaoru," Kyoya said, looking down at Haruhi. "We aren't looking for your approval."

"You… BASTARD!" Hikaru lunged at Kyoya from across the table. Kyoya, surprised, fell on his back and heard all of his breath knocked out of his lungs. His glasses hit the concrete with a series of clacks. Hikaru rolled on top of him. "YOU. LYING. SON. OF A. BITCH!" He punctuated each word with a punch to Kyoya's shocked face.

"Kyoya!" Haruhi screamed. "Hikaru, stop!" She raced to their side, attempting to peel Hikaru away. "Mori-sempai! Help!"

Mori was there in an instant, lifting the still swinging Hikaru away from the Shadow King. He walked a good 10 feet away before placing him back on his feet. Taking his shoulders, Mori looked into Hikaru's eyes, and simply shook his head.

"I expected more." Mori left Hikaru shaking in anger as he returned to where Haruhi was cupping Kyoya's bloodied face in her hands.

"Kyoya?" She felt tears behind her eyes. "Kyoya, open your eyes!" He groaned and tried to open them both, but the right one was thoroughly swollen shut already and the left was just so heavy that the best he could manage was a peek. Haruhi stroked his cheek with her thumb and mustered a weak smile. "It's going to be okay."

"Yeah, Kyoya," Kaoru said behind hot, salty tears. He kneeled to Kyoya's other side. Honey suddenly became concerned that Kaoru would say too much. "Don't worry."

"Haruhi. I'm fine." Kyoya managed to groggily reply. He tried to sit up but found he just couldn't. Kaoru reached around for his glasses; they were cracked.

"Kyoya? I'm sorry. I do approve after all." Kaoru said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder. He then got to his feet and walked to a still seething Hikaru. "Come on, let's go home for the day."

"Mitskuni." Mori caught his cousin staring at the couple. "Let's go find Tamaki."

"Um, right…" Honey grabbed Mori's hand, and the two went back into the school.

And then there were two.

"Kyoya?" She pulled his head onto her lap. He rolled towards her. "I'm sorry."

"What did you do? I'm pretty sure that Hikaru was the one that attacked me." He mumbled. _That must have hurt a lot for him to be in so much pain… but for some reason his biting bluntness is still fine…_

"You warned me. You were right, but I insisted." She tucked his hair behind his ear. "I'm sorry. We shouldn't have told them… Especially not Hikaru. I've been dense, I know that now."

"Yes, you have been." He answered plainly, eyes still shut, but now he was comfortable. Her lap was warm and her thin fingers running through his hair felt heavenly.

"He still loves me, huh? I guess I've been insensitive to his feelings, haven't I? I don't know, I guess I just always thought that if a person was rejected, they gave up, no matter what."

"That's naive."

"To be totally honest, that's part of the reason I didn't reject you. I didn't want you to give up on me. I know that I'm not the best person out there, and I know that your family won't approve of me, but I couldn't bear it if you went away."

"Screw my family." His heavy eyelids stayed shut and he felt himself drifting into sleep. She felt him go limp.

"Kyoya! In times like these, you can't sleep!" She patted his face, and tried to get him to his feet, but he was too heavy for her to lift. "It could be a concussion! You could be seriously hurt! Let's go to the infirmary!"

"I'm too tired, Haruhi."

"Kyoya!" _What will wake him up? What can I… I know!_

She took a deep breath and mashed her lips against his. His hands flew to the back of her neck, as he kissed her back with fervent passion. Well, as much as he could muster. She tried to stand up and he followed. She ran her hands up to his chest, and broke away.

"Are you awake, now?"

"I don't know… Better try again to make sure…" He weakly smiled. Haruhi's face turned bright red. Grabbing his hand she raced back towards the building, leaving a mess from the Host Club Lunch that hadn't gone any where near as planned.

When they reached the infirmary, Kyoya once again insisted that he was fine.

"No. You're not, mister." She said crossly. "I'll wait out here until you're cleared to go back to class."

* * *

><p><strong>A.N.: Wow, I'm on a roll! Okay, so the next chapter is it. The end… All the I's will be dotted, all the T's will be crossed and the grand finale will take center stage …*sniff*… It's almost over! In any case I really want to keep writing more! And so far, I've only been writing KyoyaxHaruhi (They're totally my favorite…) but I'll happily take requests for pairings<strong>.


	12. Let Me Hold Your Crown Babe

**(This is it! The long awaited conclusion!)**

**_Let me hold your crown, babe._**

* * *

><p>"Tama-chan?" Honey poked his head into the abandoned clubroom where he found Tamaki trying to fold origami swans. "What are you doing?"<p>

"Isn't it obvious?" He had a huge pile of finished swans in the corner. "I'm wishing Kyoya and Haruhi good luck!"

"You're what?" Honey came in and sat beside him. He picked up one of the small swans in his hand and examined it. The workmanship was poor, but the thought still counted.

"If you make one thousand origami swans, you get a wish! I'm going to wish that Kyoya never makes Haruhi cry, and that they get to be happy forever! Come on, help me!"

"Tamaki." Mori said in a deep voice. "You're allowed to be upset."

"Oh, ha ha ha…" Tamaki nervously laughed. "Why would I be upset? It's not like she really is my little girl. He doesn't have to ask my permission to date her."

"But, Tama-chan, I thought that you loved her… Didn't you?" Honey had always thought that Tamaki would be the first to tell Haruhi his feelings, but the twins, and now Kyoya, had already beaten him to the punch.

"I don't know, Honey-sempai. Maybe it's just best that I let them be for a while. If it's going to last, I don't want to see them unhappy because I did something reckless."

"Tama-chan!" Honey attack-hugged him. "You're so brave!"

xxxxx

"Fujioka-san?" A voice interrupted Haruhi's nodding. Suddenly she bolted up, not even realizing that she had drifted in the first place. She looked up into the face of a smiling doctor. "Good, you're awake. If you would, please escort Ootori-san back to class."

"Is he alright?" She asked looking around.

"I told you I was fine, didn't I?" Kyoya stepped out from behind the curtain in the infirmary treatment area. The swelling had gone down, and only a few scrapes and bruises soiled his face. In all, the damage could have been much worse. Luckily, he had always been in the habit of keeping a spare pair of glasses in his bag at all times, just in case.

"Are you sure you're alright?" She asked taking his hand as soon as she was sure they were alone. "I was really worried."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry."

"Well, you did. You really scared me," She watched her feet fall into perfect time with his. "It looked like you were in a lot of pain."

"Haruhi, it's my job to worry about you. No matter what happens, I'm going to be okay if you're there."

"Are you sure?"

"You like this, huh?" He chuckled, pulling their embracing hands to eye level. "This is the second time."

"I guess." _That's embarrassing… I hope he's not getting too full of himself now. _"It's just that your hands are really warm… and it feels nice."

"I'll have to remember that." They were finally in front of classroom 3-A. "Well, you should probably get back to class, yourself, Haruhi."

"Okay," She was a little disappointed. She tried to walk away, but found that something was literally holding her back. He wasn't letting go of her hand. "Kyoya? I need to take my hand with me when I go…"

He brought it to his face, and kissed it gently. "Haruhi, don't worry about those guys. They'll come around eventually. I'll take you home after school." Not a request. _I don't really mind, though._ And with that, she took her leave.

The second Kyoya stepped past the threshold into class every eye was on him. There were whispers and stares. Girls gasped at the sight of his roughed-up face. Guys tried not to laugh about his losing a fight to a second year.

Kyoya sighed, thinking that they may never stop gossiping.

A note, neatly folded, sat on the corner of his desk. He picked it up and unfolded it carelessly.

_Let's have lunch together again, soon._

_-Tamaki_

xXx

"Hikaru," Kaoru knocked on his door. "Do you want to talk about that?"

"Talk about what?" His voice was muffled. Hikaru was lying face down into a pillow on his large bed. Kaoru had let him be alone for an hour to calm down and to think about everything, but he felt like he still needed more time.

"You know what." Kaoru sat on the bed beside him.

"Why couldn't it have been me?" his face was sticky from dried tears. "I did everything right. I told her how I felt. I was there to help her when she didn't even ask… I was willing to change everything about myself for her."

"Maybe that's the problem, Hikaru."

"What?"

"Maybe you should have been more true to yourself from the beginning. I think that next time, you should just be Hikaru." Kaoru rubbed his back. "I don't know if they'll last that long anyway."

"Really?" Hikaru sat up. "You mean it? They might not be together forever… So I won't give up until she loves me back!"

"Hikaru, that isn't exactly what I said…"

"Who cares? I'm going to apologize to Haruhi and she's going to start loving me!" He punched the air with one hand and wiped his face with the other.

"Hikaru, you never change."

* * *

><p><strong>A.N.: I know that it may be be a disappointing ending, but I really liked writing this story, so I decided that I couldn't end it after all… I think that I'm going to do a sequel. It's going to be another songfic (because I like this format) called "Can't Let Go" focusing on the love triangle between Kyoya, Haruhi and Hikaru. I hope to get Chapter 1 up sometime this week, so please look forward to it, and thank you 0-GirlyCard-0 for the idea!<strong>


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